Hundreds of thousands of drivers hit with parking fine amid clamp down

More than 100,000 drivers were slapped with a fine for poor parking across Liverpool in the last nine months of 2023.

New figures released by Liverpool Council confirmed in the last month alone, 17,000 motorists were sanctioned for parking offences across the city. Amid new traffic cameras being installed at two points in the city centre, a large number of drivers continue to be found in contravention of the local authority’s parking regulations.

The number of tickets issued represents a 43% increase on fines during the same period 12 months previously.

Information released as part of a parking services update to go before the sustainable, safe and thriving neighbourhoods committee next week revealed in a two year period between April 2021 and March 2023, around 200,000 people were initially fined by city council officers. Of those, more than 143,000 were paid in full.

Around 7,000 tickets were cancelled as a result of a challenge by the driver found responsible.

Sharing new data on social media, the local authority said in the last nine months of 2023, 125,718 fines were slapped on windscreens. When compared with December 2022, the 17,078 tickets issued represented a 109% increase in enforcement.

The document said: “Parking services are currently undertaking a service restructure aimed at reshaping the service to be able to efficiently deal and manage parking and traffic movement enforcement within a large modern and vibrant city as Liverpool. It is anticipated that the size of the team needed to undertake this will double in size in comparison to today’s Parking Service team, with the aim to be an exemplar of parking service standard.”

Consultants are to be utilised by the council to develop a series of options for discussion as above then work through the pros and cons with city officers and members to cross compare and focus towards a preferred strategy.

The same report revealed more than 4,000 motorists had been caught out by the new moving traffic contravention cameras between November 20 and December 14. Of those, 1,400 were identified in the first 24 hours.

The second phase of the scheme, which includes the implementation of school streets, yellow box junctions and illegal manoeuvres will begin from June.

It is also expected the council’s cabinet will discuss the financial impact of ending free parking after 6pm in the city centre as part of its controlled parking zone when it meets next month to discuss budget options. It had been anticipated the scheme would have been rolled out last year but has been hit with significant delays.

It is not yet known when it will commence.